By Morgan Young
“Blessed is the season which engages the whole world in a conspiracy of love.” – Hamilton Wright Mabie
Four years ago, Faith in Action of the Greater Kanawha Valley had a dream to bring Christmas joy to seniors who might not otherwise have anything to celebrate.
The program’s volunteers work every day to provide free services to the elderly in Kanawha and Putnam counties. Their most requested service is transportation to medical appointments, but volunteers also provide assistance getting to the grocery store, make friendly weekly reassurance calls and perform minor home maintenance or repair projects.
Photo by Jennifer Waggener.
As the holiday season approached during Faith in Action’s first year of operation, it became clear that many of its seniors would not be having a very merry Christmas.
“When I realized December 25th would be just another day on the calendar for some of our care recipients, it broke my heart,” says Jennifer Waggener, executive director of Faith in Action. “I couldn’t stand the thought that the joy of the season would pass them by, so we decided to do something about it.”
The first year, the Senior Christmas initiative provided gifts and a friendly visit to 43 of the program’s care recipients.
“The response was incredible,” says Waggener. “We had people coming from every direction to be part of the effort and providing gifts and goodies, but, most importantly, we had people offering their time during the crazy busyness of the holiday season to deliver the gifts. We called these folks our delivery elves, and part of the commitment included visiting with their senior and sharing the joy and spirit of the season.”
Word of the Senior Christmas project quickly got out, and the next year several other agencies in Kanawha County joined the initiative. “We formed the Senior Christmas Bureau in 2016, joining forces with other organizations dedicated to serving older adults in our community,” says Waggener. “We formalized the application, accepted referrals and expanded our reach. In year two, we expanded our reach to 55 seniors.”
Photo by Bethany Hall.
The newly formed Senior Christmas Bureau decided to adopt the “something they want, something they need, something to wear, something to eat” model. The Salvation Army offered space on its Angel Tree for the seniors, providing people the opportunity to adopt a senior angel and purchase their wish list items. Catholic Charities stepped in to provide gloves, while the Secret Santa Foundation and its volunteers provide hats and scarves for every senior—many of them hand-crafted. Faith in Action committed to provide stockings each year, filling them with items like lotion, pens, candy, notebooks and pocket flashlights.
Kanawha Valley Senior Services, the United Way and many home health agencies made referrals of their clients to the program.
“We had a dream in 2015,” says Waggener. “With a little help from our friends, we learned dreams really do come true. Because of the generosity of our community, this season our volunteer delivery elves will share Christmas with 87 area senior neighbors. It’s phenomenal. Watching this initiative grow year after year is a highlight of my holiday without question.”
Volunteers are still needed to serve as delivery elves for the 2018 season. “This is a great activity for families or small groups of friends or co-workers,” says Waggener. “We have a lot of repeat volunteers who keep coming back because it’s such an amazing experience. They often tell us the joy they receive far outweighs the joy they give. It’s funny—our seniors say the exact same thing.”
About the Author
Morgan Young began working with the Alzheimer’s Association’s West Virginia Chapter soon after graduating from Marshall University in 2011. She spent the past seven years working on both a professional and personal mission to #EndAlz. In 2018, Young began working for Faith in Action of the Greater Kanawha Valley, where her skills are put to use across a wide array of responsibilities as she helps build a sustainable organization.
